Gorillaz’s new album ‘The Mountain’ wants to ‘leave the listener feeling optimistic’ about death

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It’s a Wednesday afternoon in West Hollywood. The day after a light rain, the sun is starting to break through the clouds.

The Edition’s large windows let in particularly bright sunlight, and the hotel’s quiet location adds to the peaceful atmosphere. Jamie Hewlett is seated at a wooden table, stirring a cappuccino with a black straw.

He jokes, “Seriously, who uses a straw after they’re ten?” Despite spending the last 25 years touring the world with Gorillaz, he’s still searching for a way to beat jet lag, as coffee just isn’t enough.

Relaxing in his chair and dressed in stylish beige clothing, he began to smile as he talked about his day in Los Angeles.

He remembers enjoying a rare morning off, spending time walking around town and buying cannabis, something he particularly appreciates about living in this state.

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He also finds humor in L.A.’s obsession with driver-less food delivery.

Whenever we saw a delivery robot on the street, we’d always stop and salute it. I used to joke that if robots ever take over the world, they’d remember me because I was always polite to that little delivery bot!

Hewlett and Damon Albarn have been busy promoting the new Gorillaz project, “The Mountain,” which comes out Friday. Before that, they launched “House of Kong,” an art exhibition originally planned for Gorillaz’ 25th anniversary, at a location in downtown Los Angeles.

Hewlett explains that they were very pleased with the album, feeling it was a sincere and authentic creative journey, and they’re proud of the result.

Both he and Albarn are true artists, and that artistic spirit is central to everything they do. This is why Gorillaz maintains its unique style and sound, and why the band constantly finds new ways to connect with a dedicated fanbase – even though it’s a completely virtual group.

He describes the creative process – from research and development to final completion – as genuinely enjoyable, but says delivering the finished product feels strangely like a letdown. He explains that you’re immediately pushed to start something new, leaving no time to dwell on any emptiness the finished project might leave, because the excitement of the next challenge quickly takes over.

He also describes Albarn as being like a child with endless choices when creating music. Once a song is completed, though, Albarn quickly loses interest in talking about it.

Even so, the album is undeniably their most intimate in recent history.

I think there’s something really special about the connection between Damon and Jamie. Maybe it stems from both of them losing their fathers so close together, right before they went to India. Or perhaps it’s the way they actually made “The Mountain” – they really immersed themselves in the country, spending more quality time together during that album’s creation than they ever had before.

It’s strange, but I was born just ten days after Damon, and that sparked the idea. Once we started exploring it, there was no turning back. Initially, it wasn’t even planned as a Gorillaz project—we just decided to collaborate and see where it led.

Hewlett explained that the album was also influenced by his mother-in-law, Amo, who received a cancer diagnosis in 2010 and chose to pursue Eastern medicine over chemotherapy.

She decided to travel to India instead of pursuing conventional treatment. She was interested in Ayurveda, had found a doctor there, and spent three months receiving treatment. When she returned home, her cancer was gone. Doctors in France were amazed, running scans and asking where the cancer had disappeared to. She explained she’d been in India, but they dismissed the idea that alternative medicine could have helped.

Jamie didn’t travel to India until 2022, and unfortunately, it was due to a family emergency. He was filming a music video in Belgrade with Damon Albarn when he received news that his brother-in-law, Amo, had suffered a stroke.

I heard she’d been rescued, but then found out she’d slipped into a coma. I immediately started trying to get to India – getting the visa from the Indian Embassy in London wasn’t easy, believe me! I spent eight grueling weeks with my wife, Emma, in Jaipur, navigating everything while they were dealing with a pneumonia outbreak at the public hospital. It was a deeply traumatic experience, and honestly, part of me thought I’d never set foot in India again after that.

However, while he was there, it turned out that being in the country actually had the reverse of the intended impact on him.

I really connected with the place and became fascinated by their approach to death. We also met many families who became close friends, as we were at the hospital so often.

He described a dying loved one who was both saddened by their approaching death and somehow celebrating a return, explaining that this person’s acceptance of life’s natural cycle was deeply inspiring to him.

Soon after, Hewlett suggested a trip to India to Albarn. He explained that despite Albarn’s extensive travels, India was one place he hadn’t yet visited, and they both agreed it would be a great destination.

As you’d expect, the album “The Mountain” explores themes of death quite a bit. The band wondered how they could create an album about such a heavy topic while still leaving listeners with a sense of hope.

Gorillaz has consistently explored serious themes in their music. For example, the album “Plastic Beach” addresses the climate crisis and the possibility of human extinction. Even their catchy song “Dirty Harry” delves into the realities of war and soldiers, and its cover art is reminiscent of the film “Full Metal Jacket.”

The tone Gorillaz achieved on “The Mountain” is an extension of that.

Released in September as the first single, “The Happy Dictator” playfully mocks the way Saparmurat Niyazov ruled Turkmenistan. While Sparks delivers impressive vocals with the line “I am the one to give you life again,” Gorillaz’ singer 2-D (voiced by Damon Albarn) interrupts with a cheerful “No more bad news!”

The third single, “The God of Lying,” featuring Idles, is just as captivating. Joe Talbot delivers a chillingly beautiful vocal performance, questioning, “Do you love your blessed father? / Anoint by fear of death / Do you feel the lies creep on by? / As soft as baby’s breath.” The song has an energetic, upbeat feel reminiscent of the band’s first album, released way back in 2001.

It almost feels unfair to judge this new work against the band’s past albums, considering that both Hewlett and Albarn are constantly experimenting and changing. This drive has led to some of their most exciting and visually stunning creations, but it also means listeners need to be open to experiencing their evolving sound.

According to Hewlett, art needs to constantly change and develop. He points to David Hockney, who at 88 still creates something new every day, even while enjoying his wine and cigarettes. This dedication keeps Hockney engaged and prevents him from becoming stagnant.

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The country singer, 28, explains that her latest album, ‘Cloud 9,’ showcases her growing self-assurance as she matures and gains life experience.

The Gorillaz exhibit, “House of Kong,” is a bit unusual for the band. It’s essentially a look back at their history, but Gorillaz are known for always moving forward and rarely revisiting the past.

Despite being commonly advertised as an “immersive experience,” this feels genuinely original and alive. It’s much more akin to the detailed worlds you find at Disney or Universal theme parks than a typical art gallery that simply shows videos.

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Stephen Gallagher of Block9, who was the creative director for this project, explains they’re bringing something to life that was previously only seen in the artwork and animations created by Jamie Hewlett and imagined by Gorillaz fans. Gallagher has worked with the band since 2018 and also collaborated with Banksy on projects like “The Walled Off Hotel” and “Dismaland.”

He’d previously thought it would be great to create a film studio where visitors could take backstage tours and see how music videos were made. This idea eventually developed into what became known as the ‘House of Kong.’

Hewlett explained the choice of Los Angeles as the exhibition’s second location by comparing it to Shanghai as it once was—a vibrant, unrestrained, and exciting city.

You know, L.A. has always held a special place in my heart. I’ve been coming here since I was a teenager – since I was 19, actually. And honestly, this might be the last big showing of my collection. Everything you see in the exhibition? It’s all mine! It’s been a lifelong obsession, collecting all this… well, let’s just say interesting stuff!

“I’d love to get it back at some point,” he jokes.

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2026-02-27 14:33